It’ll be played continuously with starting times at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m., during regular museum hours, in the Third Floor Main Gallery.

Of course, The Holy Mountain is available now on Blu-ray, but this is a chance to see it in a cinematic setting.

Jodorowsky himself plays the Alchemist in his film. He’s also the director, composer, set and costume designer. Clearly, he had a singular artistic/spiritual vision, and was determined to make it manifest.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono were principal funders of this occult masterpiece, and the Beatles manager, Allen Klein, produced it.

Tarot imagery abounds throughout the piece, but it’s not for the faint of heart, or those that like to keep Tarot fluffy.

The Fool is a thief and the Holy Mountain is possibly nothing more than a cinematic dream.

The card I got was the King of Swords. Nothing sweet and fuzzy about this guy. I get the feeling that for 2011, the Tarot wants to be hardcore.

We can expect it to give us advice that’s straight and clear. This king isn’t mean, but he doesn’t mince words. And he’s sophisticated enough to say what he needs to without having to force his point.

Advice dealing with direction and mastery of the intellect is highlighted. In order to be an authority, you have to act like one. And per this king’s model, a leader is smart, clear, quick and decisive.

He’s got a scientific turn of mind and isn’t interested in either hocus-pocus or over-emotionality. His communication skills are brilliant, as is his deductive reasoning.

It looks like the Tarot wants to be taken a lot more seriously this year than it has been to date. It’s focused, directed and sure, and encourages us to be so too.

And maybe this is a call for more research to be done on how Tarot works. Not just how to do it, but why it works, from as rational a perspective as the cards will allow.

The Tarot wants to flex its intellectual authority this year. I look forward to seeing how it plays out.
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The flame has been ignited and there’s a new feeling floating around. This is a day to let inspiration lead the way. Throw out your old excuses and start something you really care about. Passion and fire are what motivates the soul and it’s time to listen to yours.

You might not yet know what’s different but you know your old way of doing things is no longer possible. A new spirit has been planted and you can probably feel the excitement beginning to build.

Whatever it is that moves you with enthusiasm should be your starting point. Being true to your spirit isn’t being selfish. It’s what makes you fully human.

Tarot readings are a lot like dreams. They both arise from our unconscious and bring forward issues important for our conscious selves to examine.

We could say that a Tarot reading is a consciously induced dream, meant to organize our thoughts, recognize our shadows, and motivate us to action.

Thinking about this got me to thinking about how the Tarot itself illustrates dreaming. What are the ‘dream’ cards?

#17 The Star

The first card to come to mind was the Star. She might be described as a process of renewal through the night.

Pouring water into the pool, she brings motion to our unconscious, gently stirring the dark waters.

The Star is ‘wish fulfillment’, the type of dream we don’t want to wake from. She reflects back our soul’s beauty like a mirror.

#18 The Moon

But dreams aren’t always so pleasant. From the Star we move on to the Moon. This is where the intense work begins.

The Moon represents the deepest part of our unconscious coming up into awareness, like the crab in the card rising out of the sea.

There’s fear here. Exploring the dream landscape can be a frightening journey. It’s scary to face our deepest selves. We keep them hidden for a reason.

Like the Star, this is a major card, one that forces us to take notice. It’s connected numerologically with #9, the Hermit.

And as the Hermit reminds us, finding the courage to face our shadows is part of the path to inner wisdom.

9 of Swords

The 9 of Swords is another dream card. But it points directly to nightmares, or the inability to sleep due to anxiety gone wild. There’s no escape because it’s all in the mind.

This card is also connected to the Hermit through the number 9.

Once again we’re presented with the idea that facing our unconscious self, our unacknowledged shadows, is part of dream-work and the pursuit of wisdom. It’s just not always fun.

#9 The Hermit

And then there’s the Hermit himself. He’s not sleeping or dreaming, but wandering around in the dark with a lantern and a walking stick.

Is he the Sand Man, leading the way to our dreams, to the deepest parts of our unconscious?

4 of Swords

The 4 of Swords also suggests dreaming. An armoured figure lays on a stone slab, as if in perpetual sleep.

Other than the slab and the figure, the stained glass window is the only real colour in the scene. I’ve often thought of it as the dreams of the sleeping man.

It’s his connection to the spirit, or the world beneath his armour and beyond the three swords that hang above him. Through dreaming he’s able to release sorrow and prepare to move forward.

2 of Swords

The 2 of Swords might also be a dream card. You can imagine the woman pictured to be lucid dreaming, or in deep meditation.

She sits at night, blindfolded before the sea. Safe on the beach between earth and ocean.

Like the swords she’s holding, her mind is balanced. The dream state and waking state are working in tandem.

#2 High Priestess

And finally there’s the High Priestess, with the moon at her feet and a dress that trails off like a stream. She’s like a dream herself, flowing and not quite tangible.

She guards the secrets of life and death, wakefulness and sleep, and passes easily between the realms.

If anyone understands dreaming, it’s her. She can lead us through it all.

Induce a dream for yourself now using the Tarot dream cards as your guide:

1) The Star – What do you wish your dreams would tell you?
2) The Moon – What do you hope they’ll keep hidden?
3) 9 of Swords – What’s keeping you up at night? Is it really that scary?
4) The Hermit – Where can you find your guide?
5) 4 of Swords – How might you come to a truce with yourself? How can you connect to your spirit?
6) 2 of Swords – How can you rebalance your consciousness with your unconscious?
7) The High Priestess – What lesson have you been given now?